As an American living in London, there are definitely a lot of similarities between the two cultures, but I have also had to adapt to some very minute differences. One of the most important things I learned when I first got here is that everyone takes queuing up and standing in line very seriously. There is no such thing as cutting lines or trying to shove your way to the front like there would be in the United States. Everyone here tries their best to follow the proper order. I remember on one of my first Tube rides in London, I didn’t know about how frowned upon cutting was and just tried my best to get onto the busy train as fast as I could. I definitely got a lot of disapproving looks from those around me for doing that. At first I was confused as to what I had done wrong, but after observing how Londoners line up to get onto the train more closely, I realized how important it was to be respectful and wait your turn. I also quickly got used to how quiet it was on the tube. I never realized why Americans had the stereotype of being loud until I got onto the train with a large group of study abroad students. As I was looking at the group, I realized how obnoxious we seemed to those around us. I never feel that I am talking loudly, but compared to Londoners, it would almost seem like I’m screaming. I have come to really enjoy the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the tube in the morning. It is an experience that I know would never happen on any public transportation in the United States.
In the classroom, I have noticed that my professors are much more loose in their guidelines. I have been writing a lot of essays and all the prompts have been very open to interpretation. Our professors want us to be able to write what we are interested in, which I love and greatly appreciate, but also causes problems sometimes with me having too much freedom and not being able to narrow down my options. I do not think that this broadness in topic and freedom from professors is a London thing, but could just be because I am used to taking business classes where we do not write that many essays compared to psychology or ethics classes. Either way, it has definitely been an adjustment for me to be able to choose exactly what I want to write about and just have to connect it back to the class somehow. I have enjoyed being able to research more about topics that I have always wanted to dig deeper into, but just have never had the excuse to. Overall, I have enjoyed having to figure out life in London through trial and error and just experiencing the city. I look forward to discovering even more London cultural norms!
My roommates and I at Big Ben, and me at my first ever football game!